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Semi-official Rochelle webcam discussion thread

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Posted by DennisHeld on Monday, April 8, 2019 6:31 PM

cefinkjr

 

And Track 2, nearer the webcam, would have been (and is still typically) eastbound with Track 1, further from the webcam westbound . . . which is what I said in the first place.

 

If you are refering to the UP, since the line is ex-CNW, the eastbound track would have been the northern track and westbound, the southern.  The CNW ran reverse since forever.

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Posted by DennisHeld on Monday, April 8, 2019 6:34 PM

MKT Dave

google earth did these photos in 2007, it shows tracks 1 UP, joined with track 1 BNSF, anyone know when it was removed?  llast photo shows the track starting to merge with the BNSF.

The connector track disappeared shortly after CNW was merged into UP.  Or I should say, it was never used since.  2007 seems a bit late for that track to still be in the photo.  The CNW went into UP in 1995.  I don't think that track servived the 12 years to 2007.  I am fairly certain it has been gone before 2007.  But I cannot give you a date.

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Posted by CShaveRR on Monday, April 8, 2019 6:57 PM

Balt, there's not much local business between Proviso and Rochelle, period.  Metra accounts for a bit of left-handed running on this line close in to the city, but even that is no longer hard and fast.  I remember BN's line being CTC in 1970, and CNW's was CTC a long time before that.


Carl

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Posted by BaltACD on Monday, April 8, 2019 7:47 PM

CShaveRR
Balt, there's not much local business between Proviso and Rochelle, period.  Metra accounts for a bit of left-handed running on this line close in to the city, but even that is no longer hard and fast.  I remember BN's line being CTC in 1970, and CNW's was CTC a long time before that.

For the most part - all 2MT lines started out as Current of Traffic signalled lines, CoT signalling is what followed the Manual Block form of operation.  CoT signalling was the state of the art in the early 20th Century.  The first CTC installations happened in the late 1920's - I have been led to believe that the B&O's installation on the Wheeling & Pittsburgh Sub between the named cities with the Dispatcher operating it from Washington, PA was the first CTC installation in the country in 1927 or 28. 

Needless to say the Stock Market Crash of 1929 reduced railroad capital expenditures by orders of magnitude during the early 30's as the carriers either tried to stave off bankruptcy or work their way out of bankruptcy.  The WW II revenue bump allowed for the carriers to increase their capital expenditures after the War - most of those capex dollars went to the shiny things - diesel engines, passenger cars, freight cars, track repairs and upgrades.  Signalling really didn't start to get 'big' capex money until after the shiny things. 

The big push for CTC started in the middle 50's as it was being sold that a single track CTC installation could handle the traffic that was being handled with 2MT and Current of Traffic signalling and on top of they all the tower operators could be eliminated.  Some carriers ran their own numbers and realized that their traffic levels required 2MT PERIOD - no matter if they were Current of Traffic or CTC.

Railroads and their operations are historical in nature - you have to understand what came before to be able to apprciate what you have today.  Understanding today might or might not give an insight to what the future will hold.  

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by cefinkjr on Monday, April 8, 2019 10:05 PM

BaltACD
the Wheeling & Pittsburgh Sub between the named cities

Balt: Haven't thought about this in years but your mention of it brings back a pleasant memory.

I went to school in Washington, PA in the early 60s.  My roommate (another railfan) and I would sometimes walk the B&O RoW from school to a Howard Johnson's restaurant on the other side of town.  The operator in the tower near that HoJo's allowed us to visit one time --- I think he was lonely and bored out of his mind.  We watched him for a couple of hours while he dispatched the W&P Sub which passed the tower and a branch line --- not connected to the W&P --- that was some distance away and operated under TT&TO rules.  We didn't see how he could possibly be bored as there was a substantial amount of traffic on both lines.

Chuck
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Posted by BaltACD on Monday, April 8, 2019 10:55 PM

cefinkjr
 
BaltACD
the Wheeling & Pittsburgh Sub between the named cities 

Balt: Haven't thought about this in years but your mention of it brings back a pleasant memory.

I went to school in Washington, PA in the early 60s.  My roommate (another railfan) and I would sometimes walk the B&O RoW from school to a Howard Johnson's restaurant on the other side of town.  The operator in the tower near that HoJo's allowed us to visit one time --- I think he was lonely and bored out of his mind.  We watched him for a couple of hours while he dispatched the W&P Sub which passed the tower and a branch line --- not connected to the W&P --- that was some distance away and operated under TT&TO rules.  We didn't see how he could possibly be bored as there was a substantial amount of traffic on both lines.

Worked as a train order operator on the Pittsburgh Division the Summer of 1967.  I worked the P&W Sub at FY Tower, Etna, Bakerstown and Eidenau; however, with my parents living in Bethel Park, I got my paycheck at the Agency at Finleyvill on the W&P (direct deposit had not been invented yet).

After the Summer of 1967 I transferred to the Akron-Chicago Divison with headquaters in Akron.  I lived in Stow and picked up my paycheck from the Agency at Kent.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by blhanel on Tuesday, April 9, 2019 3:37 PM

Houston, we have a problem...

Looks like this WB UP blade train has one, anyway, as he's stopped with the engines blocking the diamonds.Problem at Rochelle

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Posted by dh28473 on Tuesday, April 9, 2019 3:50 PM

I see it too wonder what happened?

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Posted by blhanel on Tuesday, April 9, 2019 3:59 PM

And now Track #1 is marked as OOS on ATCS- I wonder if he had a derail further back on his train?

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Posted by cefinkjr on Tuesday, April 9, 2019 4:10 PM

Or maybe a load shifted?  If one of those blades shifted just a couple of feet in one direction or the other, it would cause problems.

Chuck
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Posted by dh28473 on Tuesday, April 9, 2019 4:47 PM

I notice the camera went down

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Posted by blhanel on Tuesday, April 9, 2019 4:53 PM

dh28473

I notice the camera went down

 

Of course... Angry

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Posted by eolafan on Tuesday, April 9, 2019 4:57 PM

I just heard there was a pedestrian fatality at Rochelle (described by Railstream as someone walking in front of a train). No details yet but looks like both cams are down for a while as the investigation takes place.

Eolafan (a.k.a. Jim)
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Posted by blhanel on Tuesday, April 9, 2019 5:05 PM

That explains everything... Sad

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Posted by rdamon on Tuesday, April 9, 2019 5:08 PM
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Posted by blhanel on Wednesday, April 10, 2019 6:45 PM

Question for our knowledgeable UP veterans (or anyone else who might know)- where does the UP local that services the Rochelle area originate from?

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Posted by retsignalmtr on Saturday, April 13, 2019 10:26 AM
Been watching for several years. UP loaded coal trains going east and empties going back west. Today I just viewed a loaded coal train going west. Never saw that before.
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Posted by AgentKid on Tuesday, April 23, 2019 6:55 AM

Just saw two units from the home team - CPR -  on a UP EB mixed consist train. Second and third of three on the point. By at 0652 CDT.

Bruce

 

So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.

"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere"  CP Rail Public Timetable

"O. S. Irricana"

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Posted by steve24944 on Thursday, May 2, 2019 11:26 AM

Is it me ?  Or Something wrong with the Web Cam ?   All I see is a black screen

Steve

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Posted by Deggesty on Thursday, May 2, 2019 11:48 AM

steve24944

Is it me ?  Or Something wrong with the Web Cam ?   All I see is a black screen

Steve

 

No, there's a total eclipse of the sun in Rochelle.Laugh

Johnny

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Posted by Semper Vaporo on Thursday, May 2, 2019 12:48 PM

It is a bit cloudy, but the sun is no longer being eclipsed (from my viewpoint anyway).

Semper Vaporo

Pkgs.

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Posted by steve24944 on Thursday, May 2, 2019 2:50 PM

OK Ha Ha    Can someone answer my question ?   Why is Web Cam just a Black screen ? 

 

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Posted by AgentKid on Thursday, May 2, 2019 2:58 PM

steve24944
Can someone answer my question ?

Below the cam is a link to Web Cam support. I tried it recently and they were helpful with my Firefox browser problem,

I was going to post just now anyway, because a UP WB empty coal train just cleared the diamonds at 1450 CDT. The second unit was still painted Southern Pacific. I thought UP had made a big 'to do' about having all their units painted in yellow and grey by now. I wonder how this unit escaped the paint shop?

Bruce

 

So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.

"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere"  CP Rail Public Timetable

"O. S. Irricana"

. . . __ . ______

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Posted by steve24944 on Thursday, May 2, 2019 4:21 PM

OK  now it is working   I didnt do anything

Go Figgure

 

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Posted by Chris30 on Monday, May 6, 2019 8:44 PM

blhanel

Question for our knowledgeable UP veterans (or anyone else who might know)- where does the UP local that services the Rochelle area originate from?

 

Sterling, IL... I believe the local is symboled, 'LPG04'. Usually, this local is seen on the Rochelle cam in the late afternoon delivering a bunch of cars for Cold Storage via the City of Rochelle Railroad / Burlington Junction.

Chris 

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Posted by blhanel on Monday, May 6, 2019 9:24 PM

Chris30

 

 
blhanel

Question for our knowledgeable UP veterans (or anyone else who might know)- where does the UP local that services the Rochelle area originate from?

 

 

 

Sterling, IL... I believe the local is symboled, 'LPG04'. Usually, this local is seen on the Rochelle cam in the late afternoon delivering a bunch of cars for Cold Storage via the City of Rochelle Railroad / Burlington Junction.

Chris 

 

Thank you!

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Posted by blhanel on Tuesday, May 7, 2019 6:37 PM

Just watched an interesting eastbound on BNSF a few minutes ago- unit train with two engines up front, one DPU on rear, two of the three were CP.  All identical dark red open hoppers with either a fine black substance or black tarps covering something else nearly to the top of the cars, but not piled higher than that.  Not characteristic of coal, which I can't recall seeing on the BNSF line in Rochelle lately.  Any ideas what the commodity might be?

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Posted by MKT Dave on Friday, May 17, 2019 10:32 PM

Several ppl have talked about 'Virtual Railroad' group, has streaming cams like the Rochelle. A new one was just added, Kearny Nebraska, which had something I never saw before. Instead of the trains blowing thier horns, a electronic horn goes off sounding just like a regular train blows thier horn. I'm sure there is a good reason for this. Is anyone familiar with this procidure? here is the link to watch it. I don't care for the chat, i turn it off, or hide it. You have to switch to the other cam to see the crossing where this happens. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlm3WKeEP8k&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR0wjSmZ6tYx_ZJik7BPZZribOamWWn0AvnXGP7FZVenqPtzhYQRyxcJKe8

...
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Posted by Semper Vaporo on Friday, May 17, 2019 11:06 PM

It is called a Wayside Horn.  It provides an alert at the crossing, where it is needed, but eliminates the loud horn 1/4 miles away from the crossing.  The train horn has to be louder than the Wayside horn to be heard at the crossing, whereas the Wayside horn only needs to be loud enough to be heard right there where it is.

Semper Vaporo

Pkgs.

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Posted by MKT Dave on Saturday, May 18, 2019 10:45 AM

I understand now.

Something else, at the link I gave, workdays, UP switchers move grain cars into the silo on the far right of the default page. And on occasion use a small engine to move single or double grain cars into the silo. It also gives a very close up view of the engine.

 

On that note, Here UP X4014 and X844 taking a breather. looks like they are tied down, no steam at all. The back up engine is running, I hear the occasional releasing of air. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aoYMiBSAIQ&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR0jaUEwmq5oTK8AiHZF8ZYD0Az085pysIptTW8Ucwexwsssi5CnV1wrZLI

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